Western Open Books is a library publishing service that supports WSU academic authors to create and publish open textbooks to be used in the curriculum or microcredentials.
This includes open textbook hosting, copyright advice, design support, DOI minting, H5P support, structural and copy-editing referrals, post-publication support (e.g., textbook promotion, impact reports, alerts to training opportunities in the CAUL OER Collective), and coordinating peer review.
Western Open Books also provides a platform for WSU authors to publish open license-free content to support the university’s SDG Goals.
Western Open Books is a member of the CAUL Open Educational Resources Collective which includes communities of practice for WSU authors and library staff interested in open publishing.
Create or Adopt open textbooks
Open textbooks are Open Educational Resources (OER) that provide a free alternative to commercial textbooks and offer many benefits to academics, students and the community.
Create an open textbook
The Western Open Books service supports WSU academics to create a new open textbook or adapt an existing open textbook for a subject, microcredential or course.
WSU academics can
- Tailor content to enhance deeper learning and engagement,
- Add local context, Indigenous perspectives and a diversity of viewpoints
- Update your book immediately and easily,
- Add rich multimedia and interactivity,
- Co-create content with your students.
Visit the Western Open Books catalogue to find open textbooks by WSU authors.
Benefits for students
- Free access to the open textbook. The cost of textbooks can be a barrier to student success.
- No limitations on access*. This can be of particular concern during assessment time.
- An increased sense of belonging due to the inclusion of local context and a diversity of viewpoints.
Submit an expression of interest form to use the Western Open Books service to create an open textbook.
Adopt an open textbook
Find open textbooks to use as prescribed or recommended reading in a subject, microcredential, or course. Open textbooks and other OER usually have Creative Commons licences that allow others to freely copy, use, adapt and re-share them.
Find other types of OER, including images, software, audio, video and whole courses.
* See: Section 3.3, Teaching. Learning Resources and Educational Support in Schedule 1, Higher Education Standards Framework (Threshold Standards) 2021 (Cth)
Academic experience with Western Open Books
Hear from Senior Lecturer, Doctor Aila Khan
Senior Lecturer, Doctor Aila Khan on choosing to publish with Western Open Books versus another method of book publishing:
Dr Khan, Dr Hossain and Dr Amin are the authors of Customer Insights, Second Edition https://doi.org/10.26183/vsp0-vh04
Hear from Senior Lecturer in Sports Management, Doctor Jess Richards
Senior Lecturer in Sports Management Doctor Jess Richards (FHEA) on creating an open textbook for use in her new subject ‘Sports Marketing’:
Dr Richards is the author of Sports Marketing: An Australian Perspective https://doi.org/10.26183/yy8m-px66
Western Open Books
Total number of views of Western Open Books
Total savings for students not having to purchase a textbook
Attribution: Adapted with permission from The University of Queensland